Maggie & Jeff

August 30, 2025 • Portmarnock, County Dublin
127 Days To Go!

Maggie & Jeff

August 30, 2025 • Portmarnock, County Dublin
127 Days To Go!

Tips & Tricks

Passports

Before we all make the trip across the pond there is one crucial thing we will all need: Passports! Get a passport or ensure your passport is up to date. Passports can take up to 3 months to obtain, so we highly recommend taking care of this ASAP. Additionally, passports are technically expired 6 months prior to the actual expiration date listed, so make sure you keep this in mind! Website below for more info. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply.html

Visa Requirement

While U.S. citizens do not need a visa to travel to Ireland for tourism or business stays of up to 90 days, if you are planning to do other travel around Europe or the UK while across the pond, you may need to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) or a UK visa to enter the UK (England, Scotland), or other "like" Visas to enter other parts of Europe.


You can apply to needed visas a few weeks/days before your trip and all approvals should come back within 24-48 hours.


Just a friendly warning!

Transportation

There are several options to help you get around town during your Dublin stay. Rideshare / Taxi options are listed below!


-Uber: Uber does operate in Dublin but through Taxi providers. While this is convenient, sometimes this ends up being more expensive than a local option.


-Lynk: A new taxi experience with No Tech Fees, Premium Q, Premium Hotline & More. You can download their app, this is basically Uber but local to Dublin.


-FreeNow: Another local TaxiApp to hail a cab. From research, this options feels the most similar to Uber/Lyft. Download the app!

Plug Adapters

Don't forget to pack European Plug Adapters! Highly recommend understanding the wattage of the adapters as well for any hair appliances or laptops. You can buy appropriate converters on Amazon or at places like Target, Walmart, or Best Buy.

Ireland Weather

The weather in Ireland can be quite unpredictable! Typical end of August weather ranges from 50 - 60 degrees F and is typically the driest time of year in Ireland. However, rain is not uncommon but thankfully, if it does sprinkle, it is usually light and over relatively quickly. Please keep this in mind when packing!

Republic of Ireland (Ireland) vs. Northern Ireland

The Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland are two separate countries. Dublin, where we are headed, is the capital of The Republic of Ireland. Belfast, is the capital city of Northern Ireland. Please keep this in mind when booking travel.

Smoking / Drinking in Public

Very similar to the US, smoking indoors in public is illegal, as well as drinking in public (no open containers).

Learn some Irish Slang

While everyone in Ireland does speak English, most locals and all transportation signage is also listed in Gaelic. Below are some popular Irish Slang terms to fit in with the locals!


Sláinte = Cheers!

Acting the maggot = Messing Around

Bang On = Accurate

Black Stuff = Guinness

Craic = Gossip / News / Fun

Crack On = Get Going

Eejit = Acting Foolish / Silly

Jacks = Toilet

Langers = Drunk

Ossified = Drunk One

Ireland Time

Ireland is on Irish Standard Time, which is:

+5 hours ahead of Eastern Time

+6 hours ahead of Central Time

+8 hours ahead of Pacific Time

Areas to Avoid

While Ireland is a beautiful, mostly friendly country, there are of course some areas that may not be recommended.


Pearse St. Garda Station

-While this is the train station and you should do okay in this area, its not recommended to linger.

-South Inner City

-Tallaght

-Blanchardstown

-Abbey Street

-Any street off O'Connell St.

-Talbot Street: known for targeting tourists.

Dublin Airport Customs Clearance

Dublin Airport is 1 of only 15 airports worldwide that offer US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) preclearance. This allows travelers to complete US immigration and customs before boarding their flight to the United States. This means that when you arrive in the US, you can bypass CBP and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) inspections and are treated as domestic arrivals. This can help you avoid immigration lines when landing back in the US, and pick up your bags swiftly.


To use the preclearance facility at Dublin Airport, travelers must apply for an ESTA at least 72 hours before their departure date. The ESTA costs $14 per person and can be applied for on the ESTA website.


Regardless if you decide to do this or not, this DOES mean the Dublin Airport is BUSY. We HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend when flying OUT of Dublin Airport, please plan for extra time.